SF could be paying $600K to $3M a year to delay officers' retirement amid staffing crisis
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to put a new measure on the ballot to help with police staffing levels.
It's called the Deferred Retirement Option Program, known as DROP and it hopes to incentivize officers to postpone their retirement in exchange for more pay.
"If we can keep those members around a few more years as we fill the ranks of incoming officers, then the department will grow," said SFPD Chief Bill Scott.
With 500 officers short, the San Francisco Police Department is facing a staffing crisis leading to an increase in overtime.
"There is about 800 or so in operation and those officers in operations, almost top to bottom, are doing overtime daily," said Chief Scott.
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Chief Scott is hoping DROP will help the department. This week, a charter amendment breaking down how DROP will work was presented by Supervisor Dorsey to the board. Eight out of 11 supervisors voted to send it to the November ballot.
Supervisor Dorsey is projecting about 50 officers a year would join the program.
"To convince officers to stay a few extra years. Up to 5 extra years, provided that they work in patrol or investigations. If they do that, their retirement will be paid in interest bearing account that will earn a 4% interest rate and continue to earn a regular salary. When they do retire in three of five years, they will be able to take the payout," said Supervisor Dorsey.
Supervisor Dorsey said the program could cost between $600,000 to $3 million a year. Supervisor Hillary Ronen voted against it and categorized it as a "dumb policy proposal."
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"What DROP would do is that it would in fact allow in their last five years of employment officers to practically earn double their salary. They would earn that salary with that 20% pay raise bonus which we already agreed to last year to retain those officers," said Supervisor Ronen. "On average an officer that is enrolled in the DROP program would earn $447,000 a year, inspectors would earn $522,000 a year and sergeants would earn an average of $517,000 a year. This is an obscene amount of money."
Tracey McCray, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, said officers won't be making that much.
"You have to work a lot of hours to earn that much money and it's not like we are taking home $3 - $400, $500,000. You get hit with the tax bill so it's not that. Then she makes this assumption that all officers are working the same amount of overtime and that is not true either," said McCray.
As San Francisco faces a nearly $800 million two-year budget deficit, Mayor Breed said retaining officers longer is just one strategy.
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"Using 21st century technology in addition to having community ambassadors, retired police officers on the streets in some of the commercial corridors. It's all of the above. All of those things are helping to see one of the lowest crime rates we have seen in 10 years," said Mayor Breed.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said having experienced officers stay longer will be beneficial for the city.
"It's going to cost our city in order to make it safe and I think we have to be willing to make that investment as a city," said Jenkins. "My desire is to make not only the police profession once again something that people desire to join but also there is a prosecutor shortage, so we are trying to restore law enforcement."
Officers who have been with the department for 25 years or more would be able to defer their retirement for up to five years would qualify.
Voters will decide in November. If approved, it would take effect starting in July of 2025.
